It was hardly anything other than a disappointment that having failed in the simple matter of making terms for the most natural fight in British boxing, Scott Quigg and Carl Frampton rubbed salt in the wound by boxing at almost exactly the same time 5,000 miles apart tonight; Frampton with the unranked Mexican Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. in El Paso, Texas, and Quigg with two-time Frampton victim Kiko Martinez. The bell for their respective opening rounds were literally minutes apart.

For all that I believed Frampton to be the better of the two, I was never going to watch him box the sacrificial lamb that is Gonzalez – more than that, Quigg matched tonight a legitimate contender for all that he has been bested twice by Frampton. Martinez, the #4 Junior Featherweight in the world, was a man talking a really good fight in the run up to his meeting with Quigg (#3). He was talking like a man who knew himself. A man who knew he would be unable to win by boxing and so had made his peace with the necessity of winning by force. Tough, determined, with a good punch the Spaniard was to be Quigg’s hardest test as he had once been Frampton’s.

Shaved of skull and heavily tattooed, Martinez looked every inch the hard-man he has always seemed, aside from where it mattered, in the eyes. Before and at the bell he looked pensive. Quigg looked steel.

It was Martinez who won the first however, in doing what he always does, ignoring the rest of the world and steaming forwards. Quigg co-operated altruistically, allowing the Spaniard to build a head of steam while giving ground. A single counter-right hinted at where Quigg intended to lead him.

In the second, Martinez again swarmed in. Again Quigg gave ground. Again Martinez drove in with apparent relish – the elegant uppercut Quigg suddenly landed from all the way outside was a beautiful punch and it buckled Martinez at the knees. The follow up left him entangled with himself upon the canvas.

Martinez struggled back to his feet but the venom with which Quigg assaulted him meant only one outcome was possible and it came just seconds later via a winging right that would have felled a draught horse. Martinez, who has never been brutalised in anything even approaching this manner, was finished in mere minutes by the most devastating attack currently in the division. Divisional champion Guillermo Rigondeaux will hardly be intimidated, but he will be aware of a new shadow cast upon his door.

As I write, Frampton is labouring badly against a fighter that was meant only to confirm him on American soil for around half the remuneration he would have made for a fight with his British rival.

COMMENTS

-stormcentre :

Quigg, did good to turn around what was happening (to him) with the right uppercut that he landed on Kiko, and then go on to capitalise on that; to get the KO win.
But - and it's always with a little caution that you write something that may distract from a fighter's sensational win, immediately after it - he will need to be careful from here on in when stepping up the competition.
As much as it can be said without detracting from his (good) KO win; Quigg was very sloppy, panicked (urgent?) and dangerously open when/as he finished Martinez off with punches that didn't really seem measured and/or well considered.
I know he can probably perform better than that, and was probably just a little excited to get the response and (fight ending/winning) opportunity from his uppercut at a time when he himself was not completely warmed up and ready, and was under heavy fire from Martinez.
Better stay away from Rigo.
I am not sure whether I would gauge the outcome of any possible fight between Quigg and Frampton, on this fight.
In fact - despite both, the Quigg win over Martinez and also how much bigger Frampton appeared to be than Gonzalez (whop performed reasonably well) when they fought this weekend - if anything, I think I would lean towards Frampton beating Quigg.
:) :)

-brownsugar :

Didn't see it, will try to catch up on YouTube. Thanks for the summary.

-stormcentre :

Notwithstanding the above narrative by Matt; Quigg was a little overwhelmed at the start and Kiko was coming in strong; which didn't in any way help Scott adjust as quickly as he might have wanted to.
Then in round 2 a right uppercut caught Martinez and the whole fight turned around.
Now Martinez himself couldn't adjust/recover as quickly as he wanted, and Quigg went to work just (scrappily) throwing anything; to some extent (arguably) out of concern that Kiko himself may actually recover and pick up where he left off.
Both the victory and KO win aside; to the trained and critical eye Quigg - in finishing off Martinez - displayed both a degree of desperation and lack of technical efficiency that would leave me not entirely unpleased or unconfident with what I saw if I was a trainer, manager, and/or promoter of any of the other top 122 (or thereabouts) pounders out there.
Should they ever meet; Rigondeax could easily keep the fight long for as long as he needs to psychologically crush/own Scott, and then eat Quigg for breakfast like it was a glorified sparring session.
Same for Frampton.
Rigondeax would probably bludgeon them with both ease and a mixture of neat, unanswered, and embarrassing shots; finally, possibly destroying their careers and ability to really deliver a return on promotional/managerial investment.
That said, I strongly doubt Barry McGuigen (spelling?) . . . . . whom is an Irish boxing legend and also Carl's manager . . . . would put Frampton in with Rigo just yet.
Particularly after Frampton - in some senses (including a few knockdowns) - noticeably struggled a little with Gonzales.
Still, Frampton did well to deal with the adversity, (unexpected?) pressure, and to also get the win.
Frampton also enjoyed some assistance from the referee during the fight whom - even though Gonzales did hit low at times and was deducted points for it - for some strange (PBC related?) reason allowed himself to be (observably) sympathetic and responsive to Carl's many pleas pertaining to Gonzales' low blows; despite how - by comparison - high Carl's trunks were located.
Personally, the Frampton V Gonzales fight had a slight appearance - to me - as if the Frampton camp expected an easier night.
But Gonzales - whom had clearly been very dehydrated recently and was also much, much, less muscular looking then Carl - didn't come to lay down, and even aside from the few times he dropped Carl, on more than a few occasions, he gave Frampton something to think about.
Tough kid(s); Frampton and Gonzales, and Quigg.
:) :) :)